Public Accounts Committee asks Urban Development Ministry to recover Rs 516 cr from Delhi hotels

NEW DELHI: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has asked the Urban Development Ministry to take urgent steps to recover an outstanding amount of Rs 516.19 crore that are owed to it by some of the city-based leading hotels.

The PAC chaired by by BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi presented its 59th report wherein it made the recommendations on the functioning of the Land and Development Office (LDO) which falls under the UD ministry.

As per the report, the Committee wants information related to the outstanding ground rent and other dues owed by hotels which had been allotted government land by the LDO.

The committee said that the outstanding dues included Rs 304 crore against Bharat Hotel, Rs 97.94 crore against Samrat Hotel, Rs 60.90 crore against Le Meridian Hotel and Rs 29.57 crore against Taj Man Singh hotel.

Claridges Hotel had outstanding dues of Rs 12.88 crore while Ashoka Hotel has to pay Rs 5.96 crore, Taj Palace hotel Rs 3.07 crore and Janpath Hotel Rs 1.95 crore, the PAC noted.